The remarkable Mr. Horsley

Sebastian Horsley was a drug addict, a habitual customer of prostitutes -- and a onetime prostitute himself -- and an altogether unforgettable character. Curiously, he did not believe prostitution should be legalized because he thought it would take away the illicit thrill.

Sebastian Horsley was an artist of middling talent, but people who knew him said his greatest work of art was the way he lived his life. Now, I'm not advocating a life of unabashed hedonism, by any means, but I will say this: It certainly makes for an interesting story to write. While preparing Mr. Horsley's obituary, I spoke with Kevin Sullivan, a Post foreign correspondent who interviewed him in 2008 and took a number of remarable photographs of him, including the one here. I asked Kevin whether Mr. Horsley -- who underwent a crucifixion in the Philippines in 2000 -- had any stigmata on his hands. He apparently had only very faint scars in his palms. As recently as a few weeks ago, Mr. Horsley continued to correspond with Kevin in clever, sweetly self-mocking e-mails.

Sebastian Horsley appears in a number of videos on the Internet -- alternately shocking and amusing, depending on your tastates -- but I'm afraid in what we still call a family newspaper, I can't pass along any recommendations. Consider yourself forewarned.